


I'm not in it for you, Princess

by islndgurl777



Series: Star Wars OT Soulmarks [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Gen, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 08:59:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6604795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/islndgurl777/pseuds/islndgurl777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I don’t care that you’re my soulmate, I care that you’re leaving when he’s just lost his mentor and he’s about to go on a dangerous mission.”</p>
<p>“Why does he need me when he’s got you?”</p>
<p>“He needs both of us, Han. Why can’t you see that?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm not in it for you, Princess

**Author's Note:**

> A lot more of my own work in this one, but I still borrowed from ANH. If you recognize it, it's probably owned by Disney. Disney, please don't sue me. As always, thanks to Katie for betaing.
> 
> Quick universe thing: Platonic marks are gold. Romantic marks are silver.

“If money is all you love, then that’s what you’ll receive,” Leia snaps at him. They haven’t stopped arguing since they met. That should have been his first clue.

She gets up to leave as Luke enters the cockpit. “Your friend is quite a mercenary. I wonder if he cares about anything.” There’s a noticeable pause, and Han can already tell she’s giving Luke the look. “Or anybody.”

“I care,” comes Luke’s quiet reply as she leaves. He sighs and sits beside him. “So, what do you think of her, Han?”

Han fiddles with buttons on his dash as he considers how to answer. He and Luke haven’t had a talk about their marks yet, but it seems the boy is ready to have a heart-to-heart. Eager to avoid any such conversation, Han says, “I’m trying not to, kid.”

Luke nods after a second and says, “Good.” His tone is lacking in the protective nature he so obviously wants to project.

Han can’t help it; the kid is an easy mark. “Still, she’s got a lot of spirit.” He sees Luke freeze and continues, biting back his smile. “I don’t know, what do you think? You think a princess and a guy like me--?”

“No!” Luke says forcefully, fidgeting in his seat.

Han’s grin breaks free and he rolls his eyes at the boy. “You are too easy, kid.”

Luke looks momentarily startled, but then his answering grin breaks out as well.

 

He doesn’t get a chance to see what color her mark has turned until they are at the Rebel base on Yavin, and that’s really what sends him packing.

Leia’s mark is located directly under Luke’s, so close they are almost intertwined, but unlike Luke’s platonic gold, Leia’s is a passionate silver. The sight makes his blood run cold, and he stands frozen in front of the mirror in his small bathroom aboard the Falcon until Chewie bangs on the door to ask what their next move is going to be.

“Hang on!” he calls out, tugging his shirt over the marks on his hip. When he steps out, Chewie is leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed. “What?” Han says defensively, crossing his own arms.

Chewie eyes his hip and tells Han in a language only they understand that he knows what happened on the battle station, and he knows Han’s about to run. 

“Yeah, and?” he shoots back, uncrossing his arms and heading for the cockpit to construct a flight plan.

Chewie explains that he shouldn’t be running, not if two of his soulmates could possibly be killed if he’s not there to help.

“I doubt I can convince Luke to leave, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s a fair shooter, and he tells me he’s a decent pilot.”

_ And Leia? _

“What about her?”

_ She’s your silver mark, isn’t she? _

Han scowls and punches in his coordinates all the harder. “What’s your point?”

_ Luke and Leia hold parts of your soul, but Leia is the other half of your heart. You need to be here to protect her. _

Han scoffs. “Her Royalness does not need me to protect her, and you know it. She’s half the reason we made it off that death trap.”

_ And the other reason is about to fly back there to blow it up. They need you. _

He shakes his head and finishes punching in the coordinates. “They don’t need me, Chewie, and they won’t miss me. Now let’s start packing everything up so we can get out of this mess.”

 

They’re loading the cargo onto the Falcon when Luke finds them, striding up in his flight suit. “So, you got your reward and you’re just leaving then?”

Han ignores the hurt in his voice and says, “That’s right, yeah. I got some old debts I gotta pay off with this stuff,” he explains, instantly wishing he hadn’t bothered. It’s none of the kid’s business. “And even if I didn’t, you don’t think I’d be fool enough to stick around here, do ya?” He’s being harsh and he knows it, so he continues softly, “Why don’t you come with us? You’re pretty good in a fight. We could use you.”  _ Don’t stay and die; come with us and live. _

Luke straightens his shoulders, and it’s the first time Han sees a man instead of a boy. “Come on. Why don’t you take a look around? You know what’s about to happen, what they’re up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You’re turning your back on them,” he says.  _ You’re turning your back on us. _

Han knows when someone is trying to manipulate him, and though Luke isn’t doing it to be malicious, it still stings to be treated that way by your own soulmate. “What good’s a reward if you ain’t around to use it?” he sneers. “Besides, attacking that battle station ain’t my idea of courage. It’s more like...suicide.” He turns away, unwilling to see the effect his words are having on Luke.

“Alright,” Luke says, the word biting. “Take care of yourself, Han. I guess it’s what you’re best at, isn’t it?”

Luke turns to walk away and Han’s heart squeezes painfully in his chest. He may not be willing to die for the cause, but his soulmates are, and the thought leaves him cold. “Hey Luke,” he calls out, and Luke looks back, disappointment radiating from him. Han sighs and says, “May the Force be with you.” It’s all he can give at this point.

Luke nods slowly and turns away again. Han watches him go.

Finally, he turns back around to see Chewie staring at him. “What are you looking at? I know what I’m doing.”

 

He’s about to board the Falcon to leave for good when Leia finds him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she yells at him from halfway across the hangar.

He rolls his eyes and turns around, a large grin on his face. “Well, sweetheart, I think I’m leaving this deathtrap to go save myself from another one. Is that alright with you?”

She walks right up to him, somehow staring him down despite the fact that she’s a foot shorter than he is. “You’re abandoning him when he needs you most. Don’t you think that’s kind of selfish?”

Han scoffs and says, “What’s the matter, Princess? Upset I’m not staying for you either?”

A soft blush starts creeping across her cheeks, but her tone is like acid. “I don’t care that you’re my...soulmate, I care that you’re leaving when he’s just lost his mentor and he’s about to go on a dangerous mission.”

He has to bite his lip to stop himself from asking why she doesn’t need him to stay when she’s the one who’s just lost her entire planet. “Why does he need me when he’s got you?” he says instead.

She shakes her head and crosses her arms over her chest, though it’s more like she’s comforting herself than warding him off. “He needs both of us, Han. Why can’t you see that?”

He turns halfway back to the Falcon, breaking eye contact with her. “I’ve got things I’ve gotta do. I don’t have time for this...stuff right now.”

“You think we do?” she asks softly.

They stand motionless for a moment, and then Chewie yells at him from inside, breaking the tension. 

Leia sighs. “Do what you have to do, Han, but with the galaxy we live in, there are no guarantees that we’ll still be alive when you decide you’re ready for us.” She brushes her hand lightly down his arm, and then she’s gone.

Han bounds up the ramp into the Falcon and rushes into the cockpit. Chewie inquires what took him so long and Han shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. Is everything ready?” Chewie gives him an affirmative nod, Han starts the engines, and they pull out of the docking bay. Soulmates are overrated anyway.

 

They make it far enough to jump to lightspeed when his hand pauses above the button. He tries, but he can’t quite bring himself to press down. Chewie sits quietly as he agonizes over the button and stays quiet when he finally lowers his hand, a litany of curses streaming from his mouth.

“Not a word,” he scowls, adjusting their flight path to turn back around.

Chewie lifts his hands and chortles, but doesn’t say anything.

 

They patch into the Rebel comms on their way back, listening to the stream of updates from the pilots attempting to fell the Death Star. As they approach, they watch a passel of TIE fighters down at least six Rebel X-wings. Han doesn’t notice he’s stopped breathing until he hears Luke’s voice over the comms and sucks in a sharp breath. When they’ve figured out where he is, he pilots the Falcon closer to the surface of the space station.

There are three TIE fighters closing in on Luke as they approach him. As they watch, one of them gets a shot in close enough to hit his R2 unit. Han’s grip is tight on his controls; he just needs to get a bit closer before he can take a shot.

He hears that the Death Star is in position to blow up the Rebel base, but he pushes his rising panic to the side. Saving Luke means saving Leia as well; this is his only shot.

When they’re finally close enough, Chewie yells and Han shoots, blowing up one of the TIE fighters. It’s enough of a surprise to knock the other two off track, leaving Luke free to take his shot.

“You’re all clear, kid! Now let’s blow this thing and go home!” His comms are open, so he knows Leia can hear him as well. He wants to let her know he’s on his way back too.

Luke takes the shot and they fly away as quickly as they can. Moments later, the Death Star explodes behind them. “Great shot, kid! That was one in a million!”

“Thanks, Han.” He can hear the grin in Luke’s voice, but there’s a part of him that just knows how elated Luke is right now. It takes him longer to realize the feelings aren’t coming just from Luke, but Leia as well. 

He lets out a shaky breath and tries to come to terms with these shared feelings as they make their way back to the Rebel base.

 

The noise from the hangar is cacophonous as soon as he lowers the Falcon’s ramp. He and Chewie make their way down and Han scans the open room for Luke. He sees him climbing out of his fighter, yelling and hugging Leia. A grin blooms on his face as he runs over to them. “Hey!”

Luke pulls him into a hug, gripping his shirt tightly. “I knew you’d come back, I just knew it!”

“Well, I wasn’t going to let you get all the credit and take all the reward!” But he knows Luke knows that’s not the reason.

Leia knows too, and she moves in to hug him for it. “I knew there was more to you than money,” she says, excitement and joy pouring out of her.

Luke’s excitement dampens as he sees the damage his R2 unit has taken, and as he moves away from them, Leia looks up at him. “Thank you,” she says softly.

His smirk dies at the solemn look she gives him. “For what?” he says, pulling slightly away from her.

She gives him a half smile and grips his shirt a little tighter to keep him from pulling further away. “For coming back for us.”

They lock eyes and stare at each other silently for a long minute, and then he just clears his throat, letting out a long breath and nodding once. She nods back, grin growing again, and jerks her head in Luke’s direction. He shakes off the moment, puts his arm back around her, and moves them both towards their soulmate.

As they head further into the base, their rioting emotions begin to settle, and Han realizes the excitement and joy are not just Luke and Leia’s, but his. Despite his reservations, Han thinks there might be a place for him with them--his soulmates-- after all.


End file.
